Geolocationing system and method for use of same

ABSTRACT

A geolocationing system and method for providing awareness in a multi-space environment, such as a hospitality environment or educational environment, are presented. In one embodiment of the geolocationing system, a vertical and horizontal array of gateway devices is provided. Each gateway device includes a gateway device identification providing an accurately-known fixed location within the multi-space environment. Each gateway device includes a wireless transceiver that receives a beacon signal from a proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device. The gateway devices, in turn, send gateway signals to a server, which determines an estimated location of the wireless-enabled personal locator device.

PRIORITY STATEMENT & CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/563,010entitled “Geolocationing System and Method for Use of Same,” filed onDec. 27, 2021 in the names of William C. Fang, et al., now U.S. Pat. No.11,700,401 issued on Jul. 11, 2023; which claims the benefit ofco-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/132,735entitled “Geolocationing System and Method for Use of Same” filed onDec. 31, 2020 in the name of William C. Fang; which is herebyincorporated by reference, in entirety, for all purposes. Thisapplication is also a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 17/154,713 entitled “Geolocationing System andMethod for Use of Same” filed on Jan. 21, 2021 in the names of WilliamC. Fang et al.; which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/733,041 entitled “Geolocationing System and Method for Use of Same,”filed on Jan. 2, 2020 in the names of William C. Fang, et al., now U.S.Pat. No. 10,904,582 issued on Jan. 26, 2021; which claims priority fromU.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/787,785 entitled “GeolocationingSystem and Method for Use of Same” filed on Jan. 3, 2019, in the name ofWilliam C. Fang; both of which are hereby incorporated by reference, inentirety, for all purposes. U.S. application Ser. No. 16/733,041 is alsoa continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/201,783entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Method for Providing Awareness in aHospitality Environment” filed on Nov. 27, 2018, in the names of VanessaOgle et al.; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/652,622 entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Method for ProvidingAwareness in a Hospitality Environment” filed on Jul. 18, 2017, in thenames of Vanessa Ogle et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 10,142,662 issued onNov. 27, 2018; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 15/165,851 entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Method for ProvidingAwareness in a Hospitality Environment” filed on May 26, 2016, in thenames of Vanessa Ogle et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 9,712,872 issued on Jul.18, 2017; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/461,479 entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Method for ProvidingAwareness in a Hospitality Environment” filed on Aug. 18, 2014, in thenames of Vanessa Ogle et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 9,357,254 issued on May31, 2016; which claims priority from U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.61/935,862 entitled “System and Method for Providing Awareness in aHospitality Environment” and filed on Feb. 5, 2014, in the name ofVanessa Ogle; all of which are hereby incorporated by reference, inentirety, for all purposes.

This application discloses subject matter related to the subject matterdisclosed in the following commonly owned, co-pending applications: (1)U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/562,959 entitled “GeolocationingSystem and Method for Use of Same” and filed on Dec. 27, 2021, in thename of William C. Fang. et al.; (2) U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/562,997 entitled “Geolocationing System and Method for Use of Same”and filed on Dec. 27, 2021, in the name of William C. Fang et al.; (3)U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/563,005 entitled “GeolocationingSystem and Method for Use of Same” and filed on Dec. 27, 2021, in thename of William C. Fang et al.; all of which are hereby incorporated byreference, in entirety, for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in general, to geolocationing and, inparticular, to enhanced performance in systems and methods for providingawareness and safety in a multi-room environment such as a hospitalityenvironment, educational environment, or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Without limiting the scope of the present invention, the background willbe described in relation to employee safety in hospitality environments,as an example. Employees face increased personal security risks at workin multi-room environments such as hospitality environments, whichinclude motels, hotels, and the like, for example. Such hospitalityindustry employees often work alone and range over large interior areasthat may be divided into many small, closed spaces. As a result oflimited existing security measures, there is a need for improved systemsand methods of providing awareness and safety in hospitalityenvironments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be advantageous to achieve systems and methods for providinggeolocationing in a multi-room environment such as a hospitalityenvironment, educational environment, or the like that would improveupon existing limitations in functionality. It would be desirable toenable an electrical engineering-based and software solution that wouldprovide enhanced awareness and safety in an easy-to-use platform in thehospitality lodging industry or in another environment. To betteraddress one or more of these concerns, a geolocationing system andmethod for use of the same are disclosed.

In one embodiment of the geolocationing system, a vertical andhorizontal array of gateway devices is provided. Each gateway deviceincludes a gateway device identification providing an accurately-knownfixed location within the multi-space environment. Each gateway deviceincludes a wireless transceiver that receives a beacon signal from aproximate wireless-enabled personal locator device. The gateway devices,in turn, send gateway signals to a server, which determine estimatedlocation of the wireless-enabled personal location. These and otheraspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated withreference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of thepresent invention, reference is now made to the detailed description ofthe invention along with the accompanying figures in which correspondingnumerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and inwhich:

FIG. 1A is a schematic building diagram depicting of one embodiment of ageolocationing system for providing awareness in a multi-roomenvironment illustrated as a hotel, according to the teachings presentedherein;

FIG. 1B is a schematic floor plan depicting a floor of the hotelpresented in FIG. 1A in further detail;

FIG. 1C is a schematic floor plan depicting a floor of the hotelpresented in FIG. 1A during an alert event;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram depicting one embodiment of thegeolocationing system presented in FIG. 1A providing enhanced awarenessand safety functionality therewith according to the teachings presentedherein;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of apersonal location device depicted in FIG. 2 in further detail;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram depicting another embodiment of apersonal location device depicted in FIG. 2 in further detail;

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of agateway device, a thermostat, presented in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of agateway device, a gateway service device, presented in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of a localserver presented in FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of aremote server presented in FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 9A is a data processing diagram depicting one embodiment of thegeolocationing system according to the teachings presented herein;

FIG. 9B is a schematic diagram depicting one embodiment of thegeolocationing system presented in FIG. 9A;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram depicting one embodiment of theoperational modes of the local server and the remote server,respectively, of FIGS. 7 and 8 ; and

FIG. 11 is a flow chart depicting one embodiment of a method forproviding a gateway device furnishing enhanced safety according to theteachings presented herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the making and using of various embodiments of the presentinvention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated thatthe present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts, whichcan be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specificembodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways tomake and use the invention, and do not delimit the scope of the presentinvention.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C and 2 , therein is depicted ageolocationing system for providing awareness in a multi-spaceenvironment such as a hospitality environment, which may be embodied asa furnished multi-family residence, dormitory, lodging establishment,hotel, or hospital, which is schematically illustrated and designated10. The multi-space environment may also be a multi-unit environment,such as an educational environment like a school or college campus, forexample. More generally, the geolocationing system 10 and the teachingspresented herein are applicable to any multi-space environment includinghospitality environments, educational campuses, hospital campuses,office buildings, multi-unit dwellings, sports facilities, and shoppingmalls, for example.

As shown, by way of example and not by way of limitation, themulti-space environment is depicted as a hotel H having a lobby andfloors F, which are appropriately labeled the 2^(nd) floor through the10^(th) floor. Further, by way of example, the 4^(th) floor is depictedwith rooms 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 411, 412, 413, 414, 415,416, and 417. Additionally, a common area near the elevators is labeledE, a hallway labeled P, and a stairwell is labeled S. The lobby, thecommon area E, the hallway P, and the stairwell S are furtherillustrations of spaces in the multi-space environment in addition tothe rooms.

Gateway devices 12 are deployed as part of a horizontal and verticalarray, which is generally a spatial array, throughout the hotel H. Itshould be appreciated, however, that the gateway devices 12 and moregenerally deployment of the geolocationing system 10 may include ahorizontal array.

Further, the deployment may be in a single story, multiple stories, or acombination thereof. As will be discussed in further detail hereinbelow,the gateway devices 12 may include thermostats 14, gateway servicedevices 16, or common space gateway devices 18.

Individuals, such as I₁, I₂, I₃, carry proximate wireless-enabledpersonal locator devices 20 which periodically, or on demand, transmitbeacons that are received by the gateway devices 12. The proximatewireless-enabled personal locator devices 20 may be a single buttonpersonal locator device or a proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device, such as a smart watch, a smart phone, or a tabletcomputer, for example. In one embodiment, the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 20 may be a wireless-enabled smart andinteractive handheld device that may be supplied or carried by the useror guest. As shown individual 12 works in the hospitality industry athotel H and is presently working on the 4^(th) floor. As the individual12 is working in room 404, the proximate wireless-enabled personallocator device 20 is transmitting beacons B that are received by gatewaydevices 12, such as the thermostat 14 that is located within the room404 and the gateway service device 16 located in hallway P on the 4^(th)floor of the hotel H.

As shown, the gateway device 12 in the room 404 is a thermostat 14,which may be an information appliance device that generally monitors andcontrols heating and cooling in the hotel H, or a portion thereof, to asetpoint temperature, which is adjustable, through communication betweenthe thermostat and an HVAC system. The thermostat 14 may becommunicatively disposed with various amenities associated with thehotel H as well as the geolocationing system 10 providing a geolocationand safety network. The gateway devices 12 in the common area nearelevators E of the 4^(th) floor is the gateway service device 16 and thecommon space gateway device 18. The gateway service device 16 may becommunicatively disposed with various amenities associated with thehotel H as well as the geolocationing system 10 providing thegeolocation and safety network. The common space gateway device 18 mayinclude a limited set of functionalities as compared to the gatewayservice device 16. The limited functionality, however, includesconnectivity to the geolocationing system 10 providing the geolocationand safety network. Gateway devices, like the gateway device 12,including the thermostat 14, the gateway service device 16, and thecommon space gateway device 18 may be deployed throughout the spaces,rooms, and other areas of the hotel H or multi-space environment.

As mentioned, each of the gateway devices 12, including the thermostats14, the gateway service devices 16, and the common space gateway devices18, have a data link via networks 30, 34 to a local server 32 or aremote server 36 which are providing a geolocation and safety network.In one implementation, an individual 12 has the proximatewireless-enabled personal locator device 20, which may transmit thebeacon signal B from the proximate wireless-enabled personal locatordevice 20 using a wireless standard, such as Wi-Fi, to the gatewaydevices 12. Each of the gateway devices 12, including the thermostat 14and the gateway service device 16, then processes the received beaconsignals B and sends a gateway signal to the local server 32 or theremote server 36 by way of the networks 30, 34. Under normal conditions,the beacon signals B and the gateway signals are sent to the remoteserver 36, which may be a cloud-based server. In this embodiment, thelocal server 32 may act as a monitoring station to notify an operatorabout the triggered alert and informing the operator about the alertcondition. However, in the event of no connection to the remote server36, such as during a period of time with no internet connectivity, thelocal server 32 assumes the responsibilities of the remote server 36.For purposes of illustration, the current embodiment described willconsider an operational remote server 36.

The remote server 36 receives the gateway signals and uses multiplegateway signals for determining the estimated location of the proximatewireless-enabled personal locator device 20 of the individual 12. Theremote server 36, in turn, sends out the appropriate notifications tovarious phones, activates alarms, or notify others via a computer,depending on the situation, as shown by element 38. As a spatial arrayof horizontal and vertical gateway devices 12 are provided, the remoteserver 36 and geolocationing system 10 presented herein is able todetermine the location of the individual associated with the proximatewireless-enabled personal locator device 20 within a building. Asparticularly illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 2 , the individual 12 is inneed of emergency assistance and activates the proximatewireless-enabled personal location device 20. In one implementation,beacon signals B are received by all nearby gateway devices 12, which inturn forward gateway signals to the remote server 36 for processing anddetermining the estimated location. The estimated location includeswhich floor F the individual is presently located as well as the room,hallway P, stairwell S, or common area near elevators E and the presenceof a status or an alarm, such as Alarm A. In one embodiment, thisinformation may be generated by the remote server 36 (or the localserver 32) in the form of a map view 24, which includes a graphicalrepresentation of the multi-space environment that is annotated with theestimated location of the proximate wireless-enabled personal locatordevice 20. Further, the map view 24 includes an indication of the spacein the form of an identification (e.g., Room 404) and status 25 (e.g.,Alert) as well as one or more video feeds 26, 28 provided by camerasthat are identified near the estimated location of the proximatewireless-enabled personal locator device 20. The map view 24 may beupdated as the proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device 20moves and corresponding audio and visual communications need to beadjusted too. In the illustrated example, a camera in the hallway and acamera within the Room 404 are activated. Further, as shown by audioinput A_(I) and audio output A_(O), one or two-way audio communicationmay be established with a nearby gateway device or the proximatewireless-enabled personal locator device 20.

In the systems presented herein, the video and audio may be activated inresponse to an alert 25 being triggered. Once the geolocationing system10 identifies the estimated location of the alert status 25, the audioand video feeds from near the estimated location may be displayed at thelocal server 32 or another location. Alternatively, in public locations,the audio and/or video feeds may be ON continuously.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the proximate wireless-enabled personal locatordevice 20 may be a wireless communication device of the type includingvarious fixed, mobile, and/or portable devices, such as the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device. To expand rather thelimit the previous discussion of the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device, such devices may include, but are notlimited to, cellular or mobile telephones, two-way radios, personaldigital assistants, digital music players, Global Positioning Systemunits, tablet computers, smartwatches, wearables and so forth. Theproximate wireless-enabled personal locator device 20 may include aprocessor 40, memory 42, storage 44, and a transceiver 46 interconnectedby a busing architecture 48 that also supports a display 50, I/O panel52, and a camera 54. It should be appreciated that although a particulararchitecture is explained, other designs and layouts are within theteachings presented herein.

In operation, the teachings presented herein permit a proximatewireless-enabled personal locator device 20 such as a smart phone orsimple transmitter to communicate with the thermostat 14 that is able torelay the alert status 25 with location information to the local server32 or the remote server 36 and security or other individuals needing toknow about the emergency. In one operational embodiment being described,the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device may be“paired” on a temporary basis to the gateway devices 12 on aroom-by-room basis, whereby the pairing changes as the hospitalityemployee's location changes. As shown, the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 20 includes the memory 42 accessible tothe processor 40 and the memory 42 includes processor-executableinstructions that, when executed, cause the processor 40 to send thebeacon signals B. The proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device may on-demand or periodically transmit the beaconsignals B including a data packet having the programmable deviceidentification, as well as a mode of operation identification.

Referring to FIG. 4 , with respect to the simplified proximatewireless-enabled personal locator device 20, a processor 60, memory 62,storage 64, and a transceiver 66 are supported by an interconnectedbusing architecture 68.

An emergency button 70 provides the activation that triggers the alertstatus 25. As shown, the proximate wireless-enabled personal locatordevice 20 includes the memory 62 accessible to the processor 60 and thememory 62 includes processor-executable instructions that, whenexecuted, cause the processor 60 to send the beacon signals B. Theproximate wireless-enabled personal locator device 20 may on-demand orperiodically transmit the beacon signals B including a data packethaving the programmable device identification as well as a mode ofoperation identification. In one embodiment, responsive to theactivation of the emergency button 70, the proximate wireless-enabledpersonal locator device 20 immediately transmits the beacon signals Bincluding the data packet having the programmable device identificationas well as the mode of operation identification, i.e., an emergencyalert.

Referring to FIG. 5 , by way of example, the thermostat 14 may be awall-mounted unit that is an informational appliance withInternet-of-things (IoT) functionality that generally containsconvenience and data capabilities in addition to monitoring andcontrolling heating and cooling in a room or other environment to asetpoint temperature. The thermostat 14 includes a processor 80, memory82, storage 84, and one or more transceivers 86 interconnected by abusing architecture 88 within a mounting architecture that supportsinputs 90 and outputs 92. It should be understood that the processor 80,the memory 82, the storage 84, the inputs 90, and the outputs 92 may beentirely contained within a housing. The processor 80 may processinstructions for execution within the computing device, includinginstructions stored in the memory 82 or in the storage 84. The memory 82stores information within the computing device. In one implementation,the memory 82 is a volatile memory unit or units. In anotherimplementation, the memory 82 is a non-volatile memory unit or units.The storage 84 provides capacity that is capable of providing massstorage for the thermostat 14. The inputs 90 and the outputs 92 provideconnections to and from the computing device, wherein the inputs 90 arethe signals or data received by the thermostat 14, and the outputs 92are the signals or data sent from the thermostat 14. Thermostatcircuitry 94 is also secured in the housing and coupled to the busingarchitecture 88 in order to communicate with the HVAC system to monitorand control heating and cooling to the setpoint temperature.

The one or more transceivers 86 are associated with the thermostat 14and communicatively disposed with the busing architecture 88. As shown,the transceivers 86 may be internal, external, or a combination thereofto the housing.

Further, the transceivers 86 may be a transmitter/receiver, receiver, oran antenna for example. Communication between various devices and thethermostat 14 may be enabled by a variety of wireless methodologiesemployed by the transceivers 86, including 802.11, 3G, 4G, Edge, WiFi,ZigBee, near field communications (NFC), Bluetooth low energy, andBluetooth, for example. Also, infrared (IR) may be utilized.

The memory 82 and storage 84 are accessible to the processor 80 andinclude processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor 80 to execute a series of operations. With respect to theprocessor-executable instructions, the processor is caused to receiveand process a beacon signal including a personal location deviceidentification. More particularly, the processor-executable instructionscause the processor 80 to receive the beacon signal B via the wirelesstransceiver from a proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device20. The processor-executable instructions then cause the processor 80 tomeasure received signal characteristic of the beacon signal. Theinstructions may then cause the processor 80 to generate a gatewaysignal including the personal location device identification, a gatewaydevice identification, and signal characteristics indicator, includingreceived signal characteristics. Finally, the instructions may cause theprocessor 80 to send the gateway signal to the local server 32 or theremote server 36.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the gateway device 12 may be a gateway servicedevice 16 that is an information appliance device that does not includetelevision-tuner functionality and generally contains convenience andsafety functionality. The gateway service device 16 includes a processor100, memory 102, storage 104, and transceivers 106 interconnected by abusing architecture 108 within a mounting architecture that supportsinputs 110 and outputs 112. The processor 100 may process instructionsfor execution within the computing device, including instructions storedin the memory 102 or in the storage 104. The memory 102 storesinformation within the computing device. In one implementation, thememory 102 is a volatile memory unit or units. In anotherimplementation, the memory 102 is a non-volatile memory unit or units.Storage 104 provides capacity that is capable of providing mass storagefor the gateway device 12. The inputs 110 and the outputs 112 provideconnections to and from the computing device, wherein the inputs 110 arethe signals or data received by the gateway device 12, and the outputs112 are the signals or data sent from the gateway device 12.

The transceivers 106 may be associated with the gateway device 12 andcommunicatively disposed with the busing architecture 108. Thetransceivers 106 may be internal, external, or a combination thereof toa housing.

Further, the transceivers 106 may be a transmitter/receiver, receiver,or an antenna for example. Communication between various amenities inthe hotel room and the gateway device 12 may be enabled by a variety ofwireless methodologies employed by the transceivers 106, including802.11, 802.15, 802.15.4, 3G, 4G, Edge, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, near fieldcommunications (NFC), Bluetooth low energy, and Bluetooth, for example.Also, infrared (IR) may be utilized.

The memory 102 and storage 104 are accessible to the processor 100 andinclude processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor 100 to execute a series of operations. With respect to theprocessor-executable instructions, the processor 100 is caused toreceive and process a beacon signal B including a personal locationdevice identification. More particularly, the processor-executableinstructions cause the processor 100 to receive the beacon signal B viathe wireless transceiver 106 from the proximate wireless-enabledpersonal locator device 20. The processor-executable instructions thencause the processor 100 to measure a received signal characteristic ofthe beacon signal B. The instructions may then cause the processor 100to generate a gateway signal including the personal location deviceidentification, a gateway device identification, and signalcharacteristics indicator. Finally, the instructions may cause theprocessor 100 to send the gateway signal to the local server 32 or theremote server 36.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , one embodiment of the local server 32 as acomputing device includes a processor 120, memory 122, storage 124, andone or more network adapters 126 interconnected with various buses 128in a common or distributed, for example, mounting architecture, thatsupports inputs 130 and outputs 132. In other implementations, in thecomputing device, multiple processors and/or multiple buses may be used,as appropriate, along with multiple memories and types of memory.Further still, in other implementations, multiple computing devices maybe provided and operations distributed therebetween. The processor 120may process instructions for execution within the local server 32,including instructions stored in the memory 122 or in storage 124. Thememory 122 stores information within the computing device. In oneimplementation, the memory 122 is a volatile memory unit or units. Inanother implementation, the memory 122 is a non-volatile memory unit orunits. The storage 124 includes capacity that is capable of providingmass storage for the local server 32. Various of the inputs 130 and theoutputs 132 provide connections to and from the local server 32, whereinthe inputs 130 are the signals or data received by the local server 32,and the outputs 132 are the signals or data sent from the local server32. The one or more network adaptors 126 couples the local server 32 toa network such that the local server 32 may be part of a network ofcomputers, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), anintranet, a network of networks, or the Internet, for example.

The memory 122 and the storage 124 are accessible to the processor 120and include processor-executable instructions that, when executed, causethe processor 120 to execute a series of operations. In one embodimentof processor-executable instructions, the processor-executableinstructions cause the processor 120 to receive a plurality of gatewaysignals from a plurality of gateway devices of the vertical andhorizontal array. The processor 120 is caused to process the pluralityof gateway signals and determine estimated location of the proximatewireless-enabled personal locator device 20. The processor 120 may alsobe caused to annotate the graphical representation of the multi-spaceenvironment with location of the proximate wireless-enabled personallocator device 20, and annotate the graphical representation of the roomwith the alert notification.

Referring now to FIG. 8 , one embodiment of the remote server 36 as acomputing device includes a processor 136, memory 138, storage 140, andone or more network adapters 142 interconnected with various buses 144in a common or distributed, for example, mounting architecture, thatsupports inputs 146 and outputs 148. In other implementations, in thecomputing device, multiple processors and/or multiple buses may be used,as appropriate, along with multiple memories and types of memory.Further still, in other implementations, multiple computing devices maybe provided and operations distributed therebetween. The processor 136may process instructions for execution within the remote server 36,including instructions stored in the memory 138 or in the storage 140.The memory 138 stores information within the computing device. In oneimplementation, the memory 138 is a volatile memory unit or units. Inanother implementation, the memory 138 is a non-volatile memory unit orunits. The storage 140 includes capacity that is capable of providingmass storage for the remote server 36. Various of the inputs 146 and theoutputs 148 provide connections to and from the remote server 36,wherein the inputs 146 are the signals or data received by the remoteserver 36, and the outputs 148 are the signals or data sent from theremote server 36. The one or more network adaptors 142 couples theremote server 36 to a network such that the remote server 36 may be partof a network of computers, a local area network (LAN), a wide areanetwork (WAN), an intranet, a network of networks, or the Internet, forexample.

The memory 138 and storage 140 are accessible to the processor 136 andinclude processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor 136 to execute a series of operations. In one embodiment ofprocessor-executable instructions, the processor-executable instructionscause the processor 136 to receive a plurality of gateway signals from aplurality of gateway devices of the vertical and horizontal array. Theprocessor 136 is caused to process the plurality of gateway signals anddetermine estimated location of the proximate wireless-enabled personallocator device 20. The processor 136 may also be caused to annotate thegraphical representation of the multi-space environment with location ofthe proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device 20, and annotatethe graphical representation of the room with the alert notification.

FIG. 9A illustrates one embodiment of signalization and data transfer.As shown, the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device20 transmits a data packet 150, which is a beacon signal, including adevice indicator 152 and a mode of operation indicator 154. Theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 20 alsotransmits data packet 156, which is a beacon signal, including a deviceindicator 158 and a mode of operation indicator 160. The data packets150, 156 are received by gateway devices; namely, thermostat THS-1 andthermostat THS-n. The gateway device THS-1 then establishes data packet162, including the device indicator 152, the mode of operation indicator154, a gateway device identification 164 (THS-1), and a signalcharacteristic 166 (SC-1). Similarly, the gateway device THS-n thenestablishes data packet 168, including the device indicator 158, themode of operation indicator 160, a gateway device identification 170(THS-n), and a signal characteristic 172 (SC-n).

The data packets 162, 168, which are gateway signals, are transmitted toa server and the server analyzes the data packets 162, 168 anddetermines the estimated location of the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 20. The server then sends out a signal174, which includes the estimated geolocation 176 and the appropriateaction 178.

FIG. 9B depicts one embodiment of a state diagram 180 of the states ofthe geolocationing system 10, which include an alert mode of operation182, a service request mode of operation 184, and atracking/non-tracking update mode of operation 186. As will beappreciated, the modes of operation may overlap or, to a partial or fullextent, be combined. In the alert mode of operation 182, a user of theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 20 may sendan alert to indicate distress. In the service request mode of operation184, the user may send a service along with the location information.The tracking/non-tracking update mode of operation 184 indicates thelevel of privacy the user expects and how much of the location historywill be saved.

FIG. 10 depicts one embodiment of the operations of the local server 32and the remote server 36 showing a connected mode 190 and an island mode192. As discussed, under normal conditions, the beacon signals and thegateway signals are sent to the remote server 36, which may be acloud-based server, via the network 34. In this embodiment, the localsever 32 may act as a monitoring station to notify an operator about thetriggered alert and informing the operator about the alert condition.However, in the event of no connection to the remote server 36, such asduring a period of time with no internet connectivity, the local server32 assumes the responsibilities of the remote server 36. For purposes ofillustration, the current embodiment described will consider anoperational remote server 36.

FIG. 11 depicts one embodiment of a method for providing safety in ahospitality environment or other environment, according to the teachingspresented herein. The method begins at block 198 and at block 200, thearray of gateway devices is deployed vertically and horizontallythroughout the hospitality environment. At block 202, beacon signals areperiodically transmitted from the personal locator devices and receivedby the gateway devices.

At block 204, the beacon signals are received and processed at thegateway device. The beacon signals may include a personal locationdevice identification corresponding to the device being employed by theuser. In one embodiment, signal strength between the beacon transmissionof the thermostats and the common area beacons at the wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device is measured. In other embodiments, phaseangle measurements or flight time measurements may be utilized. At block206, broadcast signals are sent from the gateway devices to a serverthat is part of the geolocation and safety network. The broadcastsignals may include the personal location device identification, gatewaydevice identification, and signal characteristic indicators. At block208, the server receives and processes the broadcast signals todetermine an estimated location. At decision block 210, the server takesaction based on the mode of operation. In a first mode of operation atblock 212, a service request is associated with the location of the userutilizing the location of the personal location device such as thewireless-enabled interactive programmable device as a proxy. In a secondmode of operation at block 214, an emergency alert is sent andsubsequent notification (block 216) occurs. The emergency alert includesan indication of distress and the location of the user utilizing thelocation of the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device as aproxy. In a third mode of operation at block 218, the map of individualsis updated with the location of the user with, if privacy settings beingenabled, the system maintains the privacy of the individual working inthe hospitality environment such that the system only retains in memorythe last known position and time of the user-supplied wireless-enabledsmart and interactive programmable device. Further, in this mode ofoperation, the system does not reveal the location of the individual andprogrammable device unless and until an alert is issued. Continuing todecision block 220, in some embodiments, the notification provided atblock 216 may include an audiovisual alert including an audiovisual feedat block 222 that may include audio at decision block 224 and block 226before the methodology ends at block 228.

The order of execution or performance of the methods and data flowsillustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwisespecified. That is, elements of the methods and data flows may beperformed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and that the methodsmay include more or less elements than those disclosed herein. Forexample, it is contemplated that executing or performing a particularelement before, contemporaneously with, or after another element are allpossible sequences of execution.

While this invention has been described with reference to illustrativeembodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in alimiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of theillustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention,will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to thedescription. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claimsencompass any such modifications or embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for providing awareness in a multi-space environment, the method comprising: executing instructions stored in memory by a first processor of a gateway device to: receive a beacon signal from a proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device, the beacon signal including a personal locator device identification, and transmit a gateway signal, the gateway signal including the personal locator device identification and a gateway device identification providing an accurately-known fixed location; and executing instructions stored in memory by a second processor of a remote server to: receive a plurality of gateway signals from a plurality of gateway devices, process the plurality of gateway signals, and determine an estimated location of the proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device.
 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a wireless transceiver is configured to communicate with a standard selected from a group consisting of infrared (IR), 802.11, 3G, 4G, Edge, WiFi, ZigBee, near field communications (NFC), Bluetooth, and Bluetooth low energy.
 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the gateway device further comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers.
 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the gateway device further comprises a thermostat.
 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the gateway device further comprises a common space gateway device.
 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the gateway device further comprises a gateway service device.
 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device further comprises a single button personal locator device.
 8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device further comprises a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device.
 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the remote server further comprises a cloud-based server.
 10. A computer-implemented method for providing awareness in a multi-space environment, the method comprising: executing instructions stored in memory by a processor of a local server to: receive a plurality of gateway signals from a plurality of gateway devices, process the plurality of gateway signals, and determine an estimated location of a proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device; and wherein the local server is configured to provide a local mode of operation without access to the Internet.
 11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the local server further comprises a back-office hotel server.
 12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the local server further comprises a monitoring station.
 13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the local server assumes responsibility for the remote server upon access to the Internet ending.
 14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising executing instructions stored in memory by the processor of the local server to: render a map view of the multi-space environment, the map view including a graphical representation of the multi-space environment, and annotate the graphical representation of a room with the estimated location of the proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device.
 15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising executing instructions stored in memory by the processor of the local server to receive a distress signal from the proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device, thereby enabling an alerts-enabled operation mode.
 16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive a plurality of gateway signals from a plurality of gateway devices, process the plurality of gateway signals, determine an estimated location of a proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device; wherein a beacon signal includes an indication of a physical state of the proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device.
 17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to render a map view of a multi-space environment, the map view including a graphical representation of the multi-space environment, and annotate the graphical representation of a room with the estimated location of the proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device.
 18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to annotate the graphical representation of the multi-space environment with an alert notification.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to receive a distress signal from the proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device, thereby enabling an alerts-enabled operation mode.
 20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device further comprises a device selected from the group consisting of smart watches, smart phones, and tablet computers. 